Raiding the Sausage Factory
Two weeks ago, immigration officials raided a kosher meat plant in Iowa. Over three hundred people were arrested under suspicion of being in the U.S. illegally. In Iowa, feds had to lease a fairground to house the arrested workers. 260 were shuffled through quick trials at the Electric Park Ballroom (without even a permanent courtroom) and sentenced to five months in prison. A month before that, they raided Pilgrims Pride Poultry Plants in Tennessee, Texas, Arkansas, Florida and West Virginia. 311 people were arrested.
What's the purpose of these raids? There are an estimated 12 million undocumented workers in the U.S. - scattershot raids are unlikely to put a significant dent in that number. So far, the plant owners have not been charged with any crimes.
After multiple meatpacking raids in 2006, Michael Chertoff said he hoped the spree would lead to stronger border security, effective interior enforcement, and a temporary-worker program. The pace of workplace raids has been accelerating since that legislation failed. It seems the administration is trying again.
A guest worker program would bring low-wage workers to the U.S. for a few years, and then force them to return to their home countries. Companies get tax-free, low-wage workers. It's not so clear who else benefits. Guest worker programs are ripe for abuse, while giving workers no chance at citizenship for their trouble. A group of Indian guest workers are currently filing a class action lawsuit against the Mississippi shipyard where they worked, saying they were kept like pigs in a cage in overcrowded labor camps where they were denied basic necessities and threatened with threatened with deportation.
In fact, the Iowa workers who were arrested have filed a lawsuit against the government for unlawful detention. In the suit, they allege that they were abused and had "immigration fees" withheld from their paychecks. If the goal of the raids was to uncover bad labor practices, the government might investigate. On the contrary, the raids may have compromised an ongoing child-labor and wage investigation. A supervisor at Agriprocessors is accused of putting duct tape over an employee's eye and hitting him with a meat hook - what ballroom is his trial in?
Comments (11)
Don't be so quick to hate on guest worker programs. They're great for people who really want to be guest workers -- ie, people who want to come live and work in the US for a few years and then want to go home.
I think we should give those people the option of pursuing citizenship if they want to, but even without that a guest worker program isn't a bad thing.
June 3, 2008 2:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
"What's the purpose of these raids?"
They are in the country illegally, apparently.
June 3, 2008 2:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
New York Jewish Week has some details on Agriprocessors and the alleged abuse at the Iowa plant:
http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c37_a9467/News/National.html
Some excerpts:
June 3, 2008 3:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
What is the purpose of the raids you ask?
The purpose is to make it appear they are doing something about the millions of illegal workers here in the US. It's so they can say to the rabid anti-Mexican crowd they are taking action, despite the fact that everyone knows such raids only serve to hassle the particular illegals they have arrested and that otherwise the situation continues unabated.
Personally, it seems to me that it would be much easier, less expensive and far more effective if they started arresting and jailing without bail the CEO's and other executive officers/owners of the companies that quite clearly know they are relying on illegal labor. Upon conviction, mandatory minimum jail time of 1 year at penitentiary for a first offense, plus a huge fine per illegal employee (like $500K per) and with rapidly escalating jail terms and fines for subsequent offenses. They should make the owners and executives personally liable as well as the company itself so they cannot escape punishment. I guarantee you that two things would happen if the businessmen and executives profiting off of the illegal hiring were put on serious notice that they face hard time in jail (not token arrests) and massive fines.
Once the businessmen understood that the government is serious that it will no longer be the poor people trying to feed their families who were being put in cuffs and doing time the entire picture would change almost in a heartbeat. If the whole country saw Wal Mart's CEO being put in the paddy wagon and locked up to await trial at an undetermined time in the future you can be sure the practice of hiring illegal labor would come to a swift end.
Once the hiring dried up there would be no reason for the illegals to be here. Please don't assume I'm against the illegals. I'm not. They are only doing what any rational person would do if they had no other genuine opportunity to escape poverty. But what brings them here is jobs and jobs alone. If it weren't for the employment they would stay home.
If all the people who claim to be so terribly opposed to the presence of the Mexican and other illegals were serious, they would take this approach instead of trying to round up all the illegals. If there were no incentive (jobs) luring these folks to the states, they would stay home. Concomitantly, if the illegals were no longer on the scene, employers would, at some point, have to start paying higher wages to legal workers. Currently, insofar as illegal labor depresses wages it is a detriment to all workers interests whether legal or illegal because it relieves the labor problem in a way that undermines working people's interests.
Naturally, the powers that be won't take this approach. The politicians of both parties will continue their mealy mouthed talk about half measures and other symbolic gestures to bring the problem under control. I don't understand why, instead of all the posturing and lies, the politicians of both parties don't simply agree to declare the illegal labor legal if they register with the government for a work permit or some other similar device. They want to work. If their labor were not illegal it would be less of a depressing force on wages in my opinion and so everyone would benefit and these poor people could take care of their families as well as come and go freely. I don't understand why the matter cannot be rationally addressed in this kind of way.
I know such programs can be abused, but would it be impossible to design one that would not be abused and which would satisfy the primary interest of the illegals (work and wages)yet satisfy those who (not so unreasonably) are concerned that we need to have a better system of immigration control than simply allowing a huge wave of people to enter illegally and gain what are in effect squatter's rights to citizenship? Personally, I'm not upset by it, but it is a problem many Americans are very upset about and their strong feelings cannot be ignored.
June 3, 2008 4:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Excellent post!
June 3, 2008 4:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow, that rocked. And you nailed it. The raids are just bad theater.
June 3, 2008 4:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree that the CEO's and those that have been abusive or violated human rights should be prosecuted to the extent that the law allows. I also think enforcement should be aggressive and swift, but with the necessary controls and support of other agencies to ensure that families are treated with respect and dignity while still upholding the rule and spirit of the law.
There needs to be a fair way to deal with this problem while respecting the laws that protect both the citizens and undocumented aliens.
I disagree with blanket amnesty. It's not fair to those who are using the established system, broken or not. There are rules and laws that should be respected and enforced in a balanced manner.
Fixing the entry process and streamlining citizenship is the only sane and fair way to deal with this problem. I don't believe we should be issuing individual work visas... either you are a citizen or not. If you are here to work from another country, you enter under a block visa for specific purpose with a contracted company that has verifiable benefits and support systems for workers and their families that meets minimum standards and a minimum wage for different skill levels.
June 3, 2008 5:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't think "the families" should be touched or otherwise accosted by law enforcement at all. Work is not and should not be a criminal act under any circumstance when it is being done to support one's family. What is criminal is the business "leaders" who exploit illegal labor for profit.
I am saying the law should not only be enforced, it should be made exceedingly harsh and swift on those criminals who profit in this way and do so not only knowingly, but in the most deliberate and calculating way. Is it not enough that we allow owners and executives to act in the most unpatriotic ways exporting our jobs overseas, denying workers pensions and health care benefits, cheating on their taxes, getting special benefits for themselves, etc...? Punish them for their criminal acts! And severely! And leave the illegals alone!
If the bosses are put in jail (where they belong for hiring illegal labor and other counts beside)it won't be long before the practice comes to a screeching halt. When no one is willing to hire illegal labor as they have been now for decades, the illegals who are here will have no reason to stay and those who might have come here before would have no reason to do so... knowing there will be no work.
Again, I propose this as a far more appropriate solution than demonizing the illegal laborer who is only acting in the most rational and logical way to benefit his/her economic interest and escape brutal poverty in their home country. It is a far better way for those who insist they truly want to stop the illegal tide and far more honest. Who can fault the illegals for doing what they do? Who would not do as they are doing if the shoe were on the other foot? It's far easier, more efficient and certainly more just to arrest and imprison those who are causing the problem: the employers/bosses/unethical capitalists call them what you will.
June 3, 2008 7:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Families I spoke of are the collateral damage of the offender's action. My hope is that there be a set of guidelines to assist these victims.
"Who can fault the illegals for doing what they do? "
A difficult question, yes.
Who can fault me for taking the bigger house that I can't have? Who can fault me for wanting to better my situation by breaking the law? Who can fault me for running-up my credit cards for things that I "NEED"?
There has to be rules and laws and they have to be enforced. It is the responsibility of the citizens of these countries to stand up for themselves and their fellow citizens in their own country. Why should they be entitled when others aren't. Why is it ok for them to abandon their responsibilities to their homeland and not fight for better conditions... we would fight for our interests here if we had to. Mexico is a democracy as far as I know. Yes its hard to do the right thing. But someone has to start somewhere or the conditions that make it so unbearable will only worsen for those that remain there.
June 4, 2008 12:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
and...
Of Course the offending companies should receive the harshest penalties.
Similarly, the dealer should be punished more so than the user.
The problem is made worse when the pendulum swings too far in these South American countries, resulting in Socialism.
June 4, 2008 12:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
What is the purpose of these raids?
Illegal Immigration IS A CRIME:
8 U.S.C. 1325 = illegal entry.
" (a) Improper time or place; avoidance of examination or inspection;
misrepresentation and concealment of facts Any alien who (1) enters or attempts to enter the United States at any time or place other than as designated by immigration officers, or (2) eludes examination or inspection by immigration officers, or (3) attempts to enter or obtains entry to the United States by a willfully false or misleading representation or the willful concealment of a material fact, shall, for the first commission of any such offense, be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than 6 months, or both, and, for a subsequent commission of any such offense, be fined under title 18, or imprisoned not more than 2 years, or both."
(1) Violating the immigration law is a CRIME
(2) Forging documents is a FELONY CRIME
(3) Passing forged documents is a FELONY CRIME
(4) Stealing ID is a FELONY CRIME
(5) Using stolen ID is a FELONY CRIME
June 4, 2008 2:57 PM | Reply | Permalink